Queen smiles through Jamaican rain

The Queen dispensed with sombre colours and wore a sunshine outfit of pastel tangerine as she was welcomed in Jamaica just 72 hours after the funeral of Princess Margaret.

She ruled that official mourning for her sister should end on Friday to avoid causing difficulties for her Caribbean hosts. The Queen and Prince Philip flew in to Kingston's Norman Manley airport and were greeted by a 21-gun salute and a guard of honour.

The Queen was greeted by the governor general Howard Cooke and Prime Minister "PJ" Paterson.

The Queen, in a red silk chiffon saristyle dress with black gloves, was hit by a tropical downpour as she met Jamaican war veterans. Later today the Queen is due to address a special session of Parliament in Kingston.

A picture of Prince Charles was ordered to be removed from the wall of a Jamaican technical college today amid claims that it would upset the Duke of Edinburgh on today's royal visit.

Jamaican-born Bill Morris, TGWU chief and chancellor of Kingston College ordered organisers to remove the painting - which features the words "We love Prince Charles" - for fear it might upset the 81-year-old Duke. He said: "I told them to take it down otherwise it would upset the old man."

Recently Prince Philip is said to have questioned his son's suitability to rule.